Improved stopper for preserve-cans



. P- PATTON.

00 for Fruit Jars.

Patehtd Jany :10, 1860.

' [n Vania):

vhomim m lm. Waflungton. n. c.

UNITED STATES PA ENT @FFlClEZ.

WM. 1. PATTON, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND W'ILLIAM MOYER, QF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED STOPPER FOR PRESERVE-CANS? Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,820, dated January 10, 1860.

To all whom it 77mg concern.-

- Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. PATTON, of Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tops or Stoppers for Fruit-Jars and other ,Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view, and Fig. 2 a side view, of the said improved stopper, Figs. 3, 4, 5. and 6 being sections of its different parts, and like letters indicating the same parts thereof when 011 the different figures.

The nature of my invention consists in the peculiar arrangement and combination, substantially as hereinafter described, of a circular base or bottom piece, having its outer edge or circumference beveled, and a screw-stem rising perpendicularly in its center, an annular india-rubber cushion or gasket of cylindrical section, which passes over and encircles the upper part of the beveled edge of the said base, and an annular wedge, which is adapted to bear by its outer inclined plane upon. the inner side of the gasket and causes 7 the latter to expand as the said annular wedge is held coneentrictherewith and forced toward the said base by means of a circular cap-plate, which is adapted to traverse the screwstem of the base when rotated thereon, whereby atop. or stopper for fruit-jars and other similar Vessels is produced which requires but a very slight exertion with the finger and thumb to operate it in the mouth of such a vessel, so as to expand the cushion or gasket, and thus produce a perfectly air-tight and durable stopper or top, and which can also be removed from the mouth of the said vessel with equal facility and case.

In the drawings, A represents the base; B, the indiarubber cushion or gasket; C, the annular wedge, and D the circular cap-plate.

The base A is a circular piece of metal or other suitablelnaterial, grooved on both sides to diminish its weight, and constructed with its outer circumference, e, inclined upward, and with a screw-stem, f, rising perpendicre upper edge of the outer circumference of the' base A when laid thereon.

The annular wedge O has a groove, 9, in its upper side, for the purpose of diminishing its weight, and its two inclined planes h and 2'.

meet and form an edge onthe under side, it

being also of such a diameter as will allow it to pass over and encircle only the upper half of the inclined circumference e of the base A, its depth being only about half that of the base A, as indicated by the dotted lines leading from Fig. 4 to Fig. 6.

The cap-plate Dis a circular plate of metal, constructed substantially as shown in Fig. 3, with a central boss, 7.7, which has a screw-hole, 1, adapted to traverse the screw-stem f of the base A, an annular bead, m, on its under side, which fits accurately within the upper edge of theinner inclined plane, i, of the wedge G, and so that that part of the under side of the said plate D which is outside of the bead m shall bear upon the upper edge of .the wedge when the said plateD is placed in juxtaposition upon the same, and with two vertical projections or cars, a a, on its upper side constructed so as to serve as abutmentsfor the thumb and linger of the operator.

Operation: The several parts being arranged in contact together in the order indicated by the Figs. 3, at, 5, and (i, and combined by securing the plate 1) and base Atogether by the screw-stem f, with the annular pieces B and 0 between, as shown in Figs. 1, and 2, it will be manifest that as the plateD is screwed down the outer inclined edges of the wedge O and base A will bear obliquely out-ward against the cushion or gasket 13, and so expand the same as to force its outer edge into close, contact with the inner side of the inouth of the fruit-jar or other vessel to be closed, producing a perfectly airtight fit, and that by unscrewing the said plate D the said elastic ring 0 will again contract and allow of the withdrawal of the stopper, both operations being eflected by the exertion of a very slight force of the finger and thumb of the operator.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of my improved top or stopper for fruit-jars and other similar vesl Witnesses:

The peculiar combination and arrangement of'the several parts A B CD, or their equivalents, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth and described.

\VM. P. PATTON.

sels, and pointed out its utility, What I claim EDWARD VVISOHMANN, as new therein of my invention, and desire to OLA. SNYDER. secure by Letters Patent, is v 

